Holiday and friend.

Just tell her you're not prepared to do that, she owes you the money and it's frankly ludicrous that she thinks you should put yourself out to find another person because it isn't you that has spent the money, nor do you want to holiday with some random if she finds someone.

You need to be really robust and clear now rhat she has spent the money and she owes you. You can set out her options, like you both cancel and she gets her money back, minus cancellation costs or she goes and pays. Her proposed options are not acceptable to you.

If she carries on pissing around, off to small claims court you shall go and she can risk owing legal fees on top.

She needs to pay you everything you can't get back.

You have no obligation to travel with a stranger that she 'finds' to replace her.

If she doesn't sort this, she's not a friend.

Of course she needs to pay you but she won't. She didn't pay so had no commitment to this holiday. People like this are awful.

Of course she has to pay you!

If you're happy going on your own then ask her if she'd like you to go ahead and cancel her half where she can then get £480 back and can pay you the £520 over the same time period as previously agreed.

Absolutely she should have you what you’ll loose! I think that’s an awful thing for her to assume she doesn’t have to. Tell her the partial refund alone and she owes x amount

She is not going on the holiday because she has realised she can't afford it.

I doubt you will get anything from her, so brace yourself for the end of a friendship.

That's the reality I'm afraid.

But who knows, maybe she will pay up. But I really think if she could pay you, she would go anyway.

Yes she needs to pay her half.

I once had a holiday booked with friend A, but I was unable to travel due to family bereavement

Fortunately, friend B was keen to take my place. B paid something towards it, so B got a cheap holiday and I recouped some of my costs

I would never have expected A to be out of pocket

Yip, I would go with this op.
Of course she should pay!

A PP phrased it correctly - she has borrowed money from you. She still owes it.

My sympathies, OP! I absolutely despise people like this - they really only care about themselves.

I would hound her (and her immediate family and friends) for the money, and once you get it, block her.

The friendship is dead anyway as she has made clear she has no respect for you, so get the money off her out of principle and then kick her to the kerb.

Yanbu, tell her now that you can't get anyone and she will have to pay. Tell her that there is no other way. I can't believe that she is dumping this on you to sort out.

I'd do this.

Also is her reason for cancelling covered on any holiday insurance she may have?

Who does she think is going to go with you instead of her ?

I'm SO sorry that your so called 'friend' has proved to be flakey OP. I agree with everyone else, she SHOULD pay you back anything that you can't get refunded, and you SHOULDN'T feel obliged to try and get someone else to take her place, as the holiday was planned with her, and not someone else who will be a poor second choice. Such a shame that your generosity in allowing her to pay you in instalments has backfired, but most of us make the mistake of loaning someone, something at some point, only to find ourselves bitten in the arse for doing so, it's a hard lesson to learn, but in my old Mum's words 'Never a lender nor borrower be'.

Of course she should pay what you can't claim back.

Unfortunately you have no way of enforcing it and a loan to a friend so often ends up this way.

As they say you should never lend money that you can't afford to lose

Reneging on a deal/contract will always come at a cost. Even if it's just a deposit to lose. If you have agreed to book a holiday and need to cancel there is more at stake than just money. I've been there. Going on a package alone may result in an extra single supplement, having someone who would happily replace your original travel buddy may mean a discount for them is the chance for them to go and for a chance to recoup favour

I would have to send her a message saying the following (or something very similar):
"Hi Friend - regarding the holiday in 2025 - I am submitting a cancellation as I could use the money rather than the holiday right now. As there is a cost to cancellation, and as you can no longer go on the holiday, your costs will be £XXX (the cost of the cancellation) so that I'm no longer out any money. I wouldn't have paid up front for your ticket had I even the slighted inkling that you would back out of the trip and I don't want to go with anyone else at this point. If you cannot afford to pay me the full amount in one go, I will accept 2 payments of £XXX (whatever it is in half to make two payments). My bank account details can be provided so that you can do an EFT of the money.
I don't want us to fall out over this so as soon as you can, get the money transferred to me.
Talk to you soon - @Speckyfourfries "

I personally wouldn't leave the choice of replacing her, to her.
If you're sharing accommodation surely you want to at least know this person!
She owes you every penny you can't claim back.
In fact why doesn't she have insurance and what is her reason?

This is not your problem! She should be paying and IF you find someone to go then you can refund her.

You can choose to take her to small claims court for the money, especially if you have texts confirming this is a loan. The friendship is over. Sadly this isn’t the first thread about non paying ‘friends’ deciding they no longer want to go on holiday and washing their hands of the sums of money spent on their say so.

You must be very clear with her - you are unable to find someone else to take her place and therefore she must pay the balance after you have had as much as possible refunded

Perfect response.

Send @Ace56 response but unfortunately I very much doubt you will ever see a penny. If the friendship is over anyway, you could explore whether you have grounds for small claims (I have no idea) if you have messages or anything proving you lent her the money with the expectation of repayment.

She should pay but she probably won't. Ask her to make the payments as expected until one of you finds a replacement. Make a note of the last day you can get the partial refund at the current amount, and a week before ask her if she has found a replacement or wants to get the partial refund.